In a posthumous work she filmed in 2019, the late Sulli talked about the commercialization and pressure in the K-pop scene, which caused her tremendous difficulties and pain.
Sulli Opens Up on Idols Being Treated Like ‘Product’
On November 13, the Netflix original “Persona: Sulli” was finally released, starring the late idol in her last work prior to passing away.
The second season of the “Persona” series contained a short feature film, “4: Clean Island,” and a feature-length documentary film, “Dear Jinri.”
In the film, she conveyed her various daily concerns and honest thoughts when she was 25 years old. The interview format film was based on “Dorothy,” one of Sulli’s posthumous songs from the album “Goblin.”
Sulli revealed her opinions on the idol industry and idols’ rights, emphasizing the need for a union.
When asked: “Do you think idols are also workers? Do you think idols should be guaranteed their rights, the minimum wage, work guarantee hours, etc.?”
Sulli agreed with all of them and reacted furiously to how a union for idols should be created.
In line with this, the idol-actress also talked about her experience of being commercialized and pressured as a celebrity.
“From my perspective, people don’t see celebrities as humans. When I first entered the industry, what I heard the most as a celebrity was, ‘You’re a product and you have to exist as the best product with the best quality for people.’
Even if people didn’t say I was a product, everyone treated me like one. I had to act according to their taste and fear that the value of the product would fall.”
She confessed that, sadly, there was no one around her with whom she could ask for opinion or share her concerns.
“I didn’t know how to make my point, I didn’t know If I should express my thoughts, and that it will not change just because I said it was hard if it was. There was no one around me like that.
There was no such thing as ‘You make your own choice,’ ‘You choose,’ ‘What do you think?’, ‘How are you these days? I feel like I’m going to die, but I had no thoughts.”
Late Sulli Reveals She Blamed Herself for Going through Difficulties
Amid all of her pains, all Sulli could do was blame herself when asked how she overcame pressure and stress.
“I just blamed myself. The only thing I could control was when I caused myself pain. I think it was my control to blame and undermine myself. So it was hard.”
I never thought that (the system was wrong). When I said I was tired, all the things on my shoulders… I couldn’t think of that. Isn’t there a movie called, ‘The Matrix’ where they say ‘Are you going to take red pills and know the truth and live a hard life or just not? If I lived without knowing, I often think I would be living a happy life.”
Sulli ended the interview with an awareness of her pain and awakening story, touching viewers’ hearts by hinting at the shadows of the K-pop idol market.
